


Alternate History: Ending note

by RandomTexanReader



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang stayed in the iceberg for 30 years longer, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Yue's self-sacrifice referenced
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25565971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomTexanReader/pseuds/RandomTexanReader
Summary: If you haven't read the Rufftoon ATLA content on DeviantArt you are missing out.A hypothetical epilogue for the Alternate History short story drawn April-May of 2007.https://www.deviantart.com/rufftoon/art/Alternate-History-P-01-52615635(I can't figure out how to make the link work in the thingiebop)
Kudos: 2





	Alternate History: Ending note

The two rowers screamed as a sodden, steaming bulk heaved itself out of the ocean and into their small lifeboat. "Back to the ship," it snarled, and they recognized Prince Zuko in the nearly blinding light. 

General Iroh nodded curtly to the rowers, who did not need to be prompted again. At the moment, their concern was to get as far away as possible as quickly as possible.

The light was growing impossibly bright, and men were hurling themselves from the deck of Zhao's ship.

Only a few moments later, a massive concussion knocked them all flat in the boat and they nearly capsized. The first to struggle upright, Zuko looked up at the sky. The others followed suit. 

The moon was back.

It shone, so big that the laws of the world seemed to demand that it would fall from its own weight and pull down the sky with it, so bright that everything around was picked out in silver as distinctly as if it had been a clear mid-winter day, so solid and real that it made everything else seem false in comparison. 

Tears began to roll down Iroh's old cheeks as he gazed at the moon, returned at last. The two rowers stared, gaping, and forgot the oars in their hands. Onboard the ship, even Wu found himself speechless as he saw, for the first time, what had been lost from the world for so long. The prince looked at the moon too, but there was a frown on his face and he seemed to be searching for something else. 

A dark shape, like an odd bird or a scrap of cloud, passed across the face of the reborn moon, and suddenly the prince's scarred and worn face split into a toothy grin. He turned to Iroh and sat down. "Things are finally beginning to look up, uncle," he said, and when he told the men to continue back to the ship there was a light in his eyes that had been gone for over a decade. 

* * *

Sitting in the broad saddle on Appa's back, Sokka watched Aang in the moonlight as he guided the flying bison away from the Fire Nation ships. "I think you should talk to him," he said quietly to Katara, who nodded and made her way to lean over the front of the saddle.

"Aang," she said gently. The boy didn't turn, but the hitch of his breathing betrayed him. "It's okay to cry," Katara told him. 

"I couldn't--" 

"I know." Katara looked at the moon, even bigger and brighter than she had remembered as a girl. "But she knew what she was doing. She wanted to do it, for everyone. And you helped. The moon's back, Aang." Despite the sadness she felt for the white-haired prisoner, and for the child in front of her who was far too young to be facing such sacrifices, a smile crept on to her face. "The moon's back," she said again, "the world can start to heal."

Aang didn't say anything, and, Katara retreated to leave him with his thoughts.

Sokka's eyes were tired. "Do you really think the world can heal?" he asked Katara, softly, so that Aang couldn't hear.

Instead of answering, Katara reached for one of their water skins, and coaxed out the water with the movements she remembered from childhood. Carefully, she formed it into a thin ribbon, weaving it around above her hand, feeling the water answer to her call for the first time since she had been barely fourteen. She slid the water back into the water skin, and then looked at Sokka.

"I do," she said simply.

Sokka looked at her, and the silver moonlight etched out the thin worry lines on his forehead and around his eyes, making him look older than he was. Then he sighed, settling his back against one of the packs, letting his head slump onto his chest. He was asleep in a moment. 

Katara laid on her back, looking up at the moon. 

Aang curled up on Appa's broad neck, seeking solace in the familiar fur of his old friend. 

Appa flew on. 

And the moon shone down.


End file.
